Relative to the May 13, 2019 midterm elections
This early, Mendros is calling all the candidates to do their part in making the elections peaceful and orderly.
TACLOBAN CITY- About 70 areas here in the region were tagged by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as ‘areas of concern’ relative to the May 13, 2019 midterm elections.
And majority of these areas of concern are in Samar and Northern Samar, said lawyer Jose Nick Mendros, Comelec regional director.
Mendros, however, could not exactly say as to how many of the 70 areas of concern where in Samar and Northern Samar.
These areas were identified as such due mainly to intense political rivalries; presence of either a private armed groups or members of the New People’s Army; and election-related violence that occurred prior the conduct of the election.
The Comelec regional director declared that so far, there are no hot spots in the region relative to the conduct of the May 13 balloting.
An area is labeled as a hot spot if there are existing incidents that are cleared to be election-related. A hot spot area is a candidate for to be placed under the control of the Comelec.
“And we don’t have it here in the region,” Mendros said, referring to an area classified as a hot spot.
But Mendros said that there is possibility that additional forces, either police or soldiers, could be deployed in areas considered as concern areas to ensure that the conduct of the balloting will be peaceful and orderly.
“That’s a possible reaction,” the Comelec regional director said, referring to augmentation of security forces.
Eastern Visayas has about 4,390 barangays.
This early, Mendros is calling all the candidates to do their part in making the elections peaceful and orderly.
“As election administrator, we don’t like our elections to be violent,” he said.
Mendros said that they are supporting the conduct of peace signing covenants among the candidates as a way to ‘conscientize’ them and give their full commitment that the balloting at their respective area would be orderly and peaceful.
To recall, the Comelec in coordination with the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces here in the region initiated peace signing covenants on Jan.20 as one of the measures of ensuring a peaceful and orderly conduct of elections.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
